Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have signed a document together at the end of their talks in Singapore, after the US president hailed the “historic meeting” and the North Korean leader said, “the world will see a major change”.

This was the first time a first sitting US President and a North Korean leader met and negotiated, an unprecedented development after a year of exchanging threats.

The contents of the document is not yet known, but they have been discussing defusing tensions and nuclear disarmament.

CNN cited a senior US official who said that both men would agree to a joint statement recording the progress of the summit.

The pair shook hands at a luxury hotel in Singapore's Sentosa island before proceeding to talks.

Trump said the document was historic and comprehensive and Kim said the pair had agreed to “leave the past behind.” Posing for photographs afterwards, Trump said he had learned that Kim was a “very talented man” who loves his country very much.

Before the signing, Trump said the Singapore summit had gone “better than anybody could have imagined”.

“We had a really fantastic meeting. A lot of progress,” Trump said. “Really very positive. I think better than anybody could have expected. Top of the line. Really good.”

“We are going right now for a signing,” the president said. Asked what they would be signing, he said: “We’ll be announcing that in a couple of minutes.”

The two leaders walked back to the hotel and Trump appeared to show Kim the inside of the US president’s legendary armoured limousine, known as the “Beast”. They then stopped outside the hotel’s doors and had a short discussion with their aides before moving off with their entourage in different directions.

Sitting alongside Trump, Kim replied through an interpreter: “It has not been easy to come to this point. For us, the past has been holding us back, and old practices and prejudices have been covering our eyes and ears, but we have been able to overcome everything.”

Just a few months after both leaders exchanged insults and threatened imminent war, the men went out of their way to be gracious. Trump even declared it an “honour” to be sitting next to the North Korean leader.

“I feel really great and we’re going to have a great discussion and, I think, tremendous success, it will be tremendously successful,” Trump said, adding: “It’s my honour and we will have a terrific relationship, I have no doubt.”

The one-on-one discussion lasted less than 40 minutes and as Kim is due to leave Singapore at 14:00 local time, there is some doubt over the level of detail that may be contained in any final statement.